#30Faces30Days wrap up

A week into June and the 30Faces30Days challenge seems ages ago. It was such a busy, exciting and inspiring experience. There was a video tutorial each day, with some of the first tutors appearing again for a second session. 

Since each tutorial was almost an hour long, and each portrait could take anything from  an hour to a few hours to complete this entailed a considerable amount of time dedicated to the challenge. 

Sktchy Art School

The videos were posted at the Sktchy Art School website, available from 6.00 am (Brisbane time).. using]The Mighty Network is available for both IOS and Android users,  an advantage since the Sktchy app is only iOS. I would watch some of the video and if I had time do some work on the portrait. The reference photos grade been previously posted on the Art school site so we were able to do a preliminary sketch. 

Sometimes the tutor would start in a different way, such as using the reference photo selecting sections to use in the final work. We learned how work with multiple layers (trying not to get confused) and how to experiment with the many interesting facets of the Procreate app. 

Such a lot to learn and absorb - I know I will need to go back, take one tutor at a time and really master each particular approach and technique.

What is digital painting? How do you do this? 

These are questions put to me recently by a friend when talking about the challenge. She was complimenting me on the portraits I had been posting on Instagram and Facebook. When I said that these were all done digitally using the procreate drawing app, she couldn’t picture how this was done.  Then I realised that for the last few years I have been dabbling in an art form foreign to many. 

Essntially one is drawing or painting on digital device using a stylus or even one's finger.

There are any number of apps that allow one to draw and paint digitally. 

Procreate

Procreate is in a league of its own. The wonderful talent behind Procreate are based in Tasmania. Their business model is unique in this age of subscription based and in app purchases. It’s a ONE TIME PURCHASE - and that includes EVERY NEW UPDATE - FOREVER! 

Then as if this isn’t enough, the choice of brushes native to the app is vast. (All the tools are called ‘brushes’ even though you might be drawing with a charcoal or crayon ‘brush’)

As with Photoshop, layers are available so each section of the painting can be drawn on separately, and when combined make the finished work. 

Procreate records each stroke that you make to create a timelapse. This allows one to view the process of the painting. There of few of these portraits on my Instagram page which will give you an idea of how the painting evolves. Here is one of them.

 

Exhibition at Cafe Lagarto Samford

This week an exciting opportunity presented itself - an exhibition at Cafe Lagarto, Samford. The following day, I met with the lovely Cafe owner to view the space. The Cafe is part of the Lifestyle Centre on the Mount Glorious Road just outside Samford. A cottage across the pathway from the main area of the Cafe has become additional space for the cage patrons allowing good social distancing and as a wonderful bonus, a charming gallery space. 

A welcome bonus is that the 2021 Samford Arts Trail, with perfect timing, opens this weekend and runs for the month of June.

My paintings are hanging one of the three rooms, alongside two other artists, a painter and a photographer. 

I’ve kept to a floral theme, in keeping with the cottage atmosphere of the building. All paintings are for sale. 

During the course of the exhibition, I'll be adding more photos and videos to my Instagram page. In the meantime, here are a few of the paintings:

King Protea  - oil on canvas 700 mm x 700 mm

King Protea - above the fireplace 

Cilla’s Flowers - oil on canvas 460 mm x 610 mm

Proteas with a jug - oil and cold wax on panel 405 mm x 405 mm



Dragon Vase with Magnolias - oil on canvas 610 mm x 610 mm

#30Faces30Days in Procreate with Sktchy

I posted my first ink drawing in April 2015, having heard about Sktchy through my friend Joan Martin.

 

Sktchy is an online community that fosters creativity with a particular focus on portraiture. Members upload photographs that are used as inspiration. It’s also a friendly supportive place to creations. The artwork is displayed alongside the inspiration post - revealed with a swipe to the right. 

In the beginning my portraits were all analogue, using ink and watercolour, as well as some in oil and a few in acrylic. I had one of the smaller iPads and used an Idonit stylus - one step up from the stubby black finger like cheapie stylus which covered most of the line one was drawing. Frustrating to say the least!

I started adding digital elements about August of that year as seen in this work with text added:

#WAXTIP 

and this digital collage:

#WAXCOLLAGE

In April 2018 my digital progress made a dramatic leap forward with the release of a smaller, more affordable iPad that supported an Apple Pencil. It was definitely a game changer to have a drawing tool that was touch sensitive and very responsive. 

I have done a number of online classes with Sktchy, with various artists who have contributed so much to my knowledge of digital art, and Procreate in particular - it’s the best art app by far. 

This brings me to the beginning of May and the start of #30Faces30Days. This online challenge features a daily full length video tutorial using a muse selected by the tutor and concentrating on their own unique style. Each day brings new approaches and ways of working in Procreate. It’s excellent value for money. I decided at the beginning that even if the days style/approach was not my ‘jam’ I would endeavour to complete something using the tutor’s techniques. 

So May is all about Procreate and a portrait every day. I’m very pleased that so far I have kept up and have finished a portrait every day. 

Here are the portraits up to Day 15.